Module 8 - Assessment in E-Learning

WOW!  I am very impressed with everyone’s final projects.  Each student’s project shows a different strength that they possess as an online educator.  Jenifer displayed her ability to create a strong visual piece and Patricia’s attention to detail was present.  I thought this was an interesting aspect of the project that I had not expected to see.

I have learned that it is better to build in your documents versus providing them via web link because people may have trouble linking to them.  The problem with Weebly is that I have to pay extra to be able to embed items in the web site.  Instead, I had to use screen shots and embed items as an image.  Unfortunately, this did not allow for my course matrix (taxonomy table) to line up correctly.  Ugh!  For the most part, I loved working in Weebly and would use the site again in the future.  I think it is a great way to create an E-folio, display coursework, or use as a course management tool.

I enjoyed collaborating with fellow colleagues from across the country this semester.  I feel I have a better grasp on how to assess student learning and create an engaging online course.  Thank you everyone for contributing to my learning!

I am also VERY happy to have compiled the course activities and will be incorporating them into my online course plans this week! I have one week of MASSIVE prepping, a week of institutional planning, and school is back in session on Aug. 20th!! 

Since I will be teaching 7 classes this fall and teaching my first online class, I will not have time to take the Instructional Design course.  This is a real bummer!  I REALLY want to keep going, but I know I can’t until spring semester or summer.

Final Garden Update!

Watermelons are coming out of my ears!! I have 4 plants that have about 10 watermelons on their vines.  I cracked one open last night and they have about a good month to go before they are ripe.  My dog, of course, did not mind eating a few chunks of un-ripened watermelon!  Bailey, my English mastiff, decided to also eat two cucumbers, 2 apples from under the tree, 4 carrots, and 2 cherry tomatoes she stole out of my bowl!  I bet she had a stomach ache last night!

Since my watermelons are taking over the garden, I pulled out the remaining beets and onions.  The garden has finally produced green beans!  I also saw that my first eggplant and jalapenos are growing.  This is my first year growing eggplants and they seem to be doing extremely well in this weather.  (Now, if only my green peppers would do as well!  The plants look great, but have hardly any peppers.)  In addition, I have 5 pumpkins and 5 cantaloupes on the vine.  Luckily, my garden is going to slow down a bit until last August, when the watermelon, cantaloupe, and tomatoes will ripen.

Last Sunday night, we had an amazing dinner from the garden!  My uncle butchered chickens a few days prior and we roasted an amazingly large chicken.  Then, we dug up red potatoes and onions.  We fried them in pan with rosemary, butter, and other herbs.  To top it all off, we steamed some fresh green beans!  What an awesome, tasty meal!

Module 7 - Assessment in E-Learning

This week, I worked diligently on my final project. Half way through completing my project, I got super sick of trying to fix the forming problems I was having with Blogger. Blogger is great, but the formatting and spacing are always an issue when pasting content into the posting area. To curtail my frustration and try something new, I created a Weebly web site instead. I was able to cut and paste (including the hyperlinks!!! Yeah!!) my content from Blogger into Weebly with no issues. I am a very happy camper!! I also think that the web site looks more professional and polished!

I have done a ton of work on my project, but I know I have some polishing to do on it this week.  The project needs a major final edit!!  I am going to wait until Tuesday and review it with a fresh set of eyes!!

Watermelon

Without further adieu, here is my final project web link: 

http://finalassessmentprojectuwstout.weebly.com/

Garden Update!

This Saturday, I took a break from my final project to can blueberry pie filling, blueberry lime jam, and dill cucumber relish.  I also shot some awesome pictures of my gigantic tomato plants and the many, many watermelons that are overtaking my garden.  Enjoy the pics!

One of my HUGE tomato plants! I have 18 total!

Module 6 – Pre-Course Survey Construction

Pre-Course Survey Construction

After listening to the live WebEx discussion, I discovered that we should personalize our pre-course survey to provide students with more information about ourselves, as well as, set up a supportable comfortable learning environment.  After construction my survey, I am uncertain I have completed this goal.  I added some additional information to question one and I hope this helps me achieve this goal.  Here is the link to my Pre-Course Survey.

Final Project Update

On Tuesday, I dove into reconstructing my concept map and my taxonomy tables. I found it to be very helpful to construct both items at the same time.  I spent a number of hours redeveloping both items.  After listening to the WebEx discussion, I now feel more confused if I am heading the right direction or not.  The discussion on the taxonomy table confused me a bit.  I am not worried, though, as I feel I am still heading in the right direction.   

Eastern Standard Time

UGH! I logged on an hour late!!  I forgot our online WebEx meeting was in Eastern time.  Sorry I missed the meeting folks!

Garden update!

This week, I harvested beets and peas.  I also have cucumbers and dill coming out my ears!  Ha ha!  I unfortunately not have time to can pickles so I will be giving away the majority of my cucumbers.  Next week, I will finally have green beans!  Yahoo!

An Important Point I Discovered about Bloom's After the Fact...

One of the students in my online assessment class proposed the following intriguing question during our discussion on Bloom's Taxonomy:

If a topic is important enough to be in a course, it is important enough to go through all of the levels of Bloom's Taxonomy?

Great question! TOUGH question!

I think it depends on the core focus or the depth of the course. Some 100 level courses in college are "survey" courses, where it is more about introducing or studying the breadth of the subject, versus obtaining a specific skill or in-depth knowledge. In some introductory courses, you might only want your students to be introduced to new material and use one or two of the upper level categories of Bloom's. There might not be enough time or the need for students to use all of the levels.

Having stating this, I think a well rounded and quality educational course would utilize all of the higher order steps. I would strive to include as many levels as possible, but, depending on the course, you may only be able to include what you have time and resources for.

After I posted this reply in the discussion, I found the following information regarding my classmate's inquiry. I have posted it on my blog hoping others might read it since, I posted a reply after the end of the module.

I just read in the book, Assessing the online learner: Resources and strategies for faculty,
that Palloff and Pratt (2009) believe that:

Instead, the instructor should once again think about at the end of the course, and then 
link those thoughts to the appropriate level in Bloom's Taxonomy that they represent. For example, introductory courses may have outcomes and assessments that do not go beyond the comprehension level, whereas courses that are taken by students who are further along in the their studies are likely to contain outcomes and activities that span the taxonomy (p. 23).

I hope this quote helps my fellow classmates! I think it helped clarify a few questions for me. I wish I would have found the quote sooner!

Garden Update....

BUGS, BUGS, BUGS! This week, I have been battling potato bugs! Grrr…..My organic solution of soap and water did not work this year because I applied the solution to late in the game. Thus, I had to dowse my plants in the chemical powder, Seven Dust. In the past week, 90% of the bugs were killed. It is those pesky 10% that are still causing problems! I typically have to apply Seven Dust twice and will have to do so this weekend.

There are peas and beets ready this week! I love picking fresh peas of out of the garden. YUM! Next week, I will have cukes to can. Boy, the summer is flying by quickly!

Module 5 - Bloomtastic! Bloom-a-rama!

Creating my Taxonomy Table....

This week, I have been struggling with my taxonomy table. Why? I think it is because I am not sure if I need to use all of the lower and higher level categories of the Bloom’s Taxonomy Table on one course competency or project for the course or not. I also struggled with the idea that an activity could fit into more than one category. So what is a student to do? Head to the books! I decided to cruise the awesome article written by Andrew Church.

Here is what I found:

Church (2009) stated, “Some people may argue that you do not require some of the stages for each and every task; some too may argue about the necessity to reach the creation level for all activities. This is the choice of the individual“ (p. 6).

UGH! Church, could you be more obtuse? Ha ha! I guess it is up to me! I just need to dive in, start typing, present my ideas and incorporate the critical feedback that I will receive. After all, mistakes are a part of the learning process.

My Table....

I decided to have students use the group communication skills they will learn in the oral/interpersonal communication course to discover knowledge about intercultural communication. In my traditional face-to-face course oral/interpersonal communication course, students complete the same activity, but instead of a wiki, they present their findings during a group presentation. I am planning on adapting and modifying the presentation assignment into my online course in the form of a wiki report. Here is my current table. 

Reflection Remarks after Creating My Table....

I quickly discovered four important lessons this week when completing this activity: 

1. Designing an online course is more complicated and more difficult than a traditional face-to-face course. Instructors need to reframe the way activities are presented and executed. 
2. Designing an online course does take more time, effort and attention to assessment than a face-to-face course. 
3. Using Bloom’s taxonomy to design an online course can provide substantial justification for the link between your course activities and objectives. 
4. Instructors need to take into account how to avoid plagiarism when designing course activities and assessments. By creating unique and engaging activities (and assessments!), instructors can curtail plagiarism in their courses. 

Notes on my final project... 

We just received the instructions this week on our final projects. I reviewed some past student’s final projects on their blogs and I think I am going to submit my project with the use of a blog. I like the organization it provides, the ability to link to outside resources, and the ability to add media. I set up a blog and am ready to start working on my final project.

Midterm Jigsaw Project

A HUGE thank you to my project group members for completing this assignment today so that I could go on vacation this weekend!  I have the best group in the bunch!

My group members, Nancy and Patricia, have been knowledgable, flexible, and have utilized stellar communication skills.  I appreciate the hard work they have done on this project.  Without further babbling, here is our project:  Midterm Jigsaw Project

Module 4 - Assessment in E-Learning

The article that was most thought provoking to me was How Customized Learning will Benefit Students.  In the first two sentences, the author mentions that many schools are moving to cloud based computing because it makes applications available anytime, anywhere.  I am big proponent of cloud based storage and applications for students, but have recently learned some possibly disturbing news regarding how advertisers are using our free storage space to their advantage.  The article located on Byte, proposes that the new Google Drive’s Terms of Services leaves the door open to scan your documents to provide advertisers with information regarding your preferences.  True or false?  If it is true, advertisers could start tracking your preferences beginning in elementary school.  I think this would be a great discussion in a future online course:  What is the real cost of free applications?

The other interesting discussion in the article is the idea of the “School-as-a-Service” philosophy.  I do find several of these ideas beneficial to students, but also find that some of the dimensions could be potentially detrimental to instructors.  Undergraduate schools in the past five years have been slowly catching on to this philosophy and are working to tailor education to the customer.  Since recruiters and admissions representatives are competing for a smaller group of students (due to the decreased population numbers in the U.S.), they have begun to treat students as consumers.  This article reflects how learners may also start to be treated as consumers. 

I believe that educators have always tried to tailor their instruction to individual students.  When I did not understand a concept in school, the teacher would provide extra assistance to me or other students individually to help understand the task at hand.  I think this has always been a core philosophy of teachers who care about their students’ success.  I believe the only difference is that now instructors have additional technological tools to aid them in student comprehension.

What did I not agree with in the article you ask? Get the point Kelly! Well, I did not agree with the idea of individual scheduling for students discussed in #4 & 7. Our institution is trying to implement this strategy and many hurtles have suddenly appeared.  Our administration is going to have rolling start dates for online classes where students can enter on one of three different dates until the class is full.  Thus, instructors will have 3 different groups of students to track in one course. Yikes!  Additionally, the course will not end until the middle of the following semester.  What happens when the next rolling class starts?  Then, you will have to track 6 different groups of learners and continue to teach your 6 other traditional face-to-face classes.  How can an educator keep all the deadlines straight, help individual students, grade projects and maintain all of the other responsibilities associated with teaching 6 traditional classes? 

The other problem derives from the financial aid system in the United States.  FAFSA is a first come, first serve program.  The sooner you apply the more likely you are to receive aid.  Once the money is gone, you are out of luck for receiving aid.  If students start at later dates, will they receive any financial aid?

Finally, did the article mention working year round? YIKES!  I can’t imagine working 60 hours a week year round.  Many people who do not work in education do not understand the time that is exerted during the school year by educators.  I work weekends, nights, and holidays to keep up.  I could not keep up that same pace for 12 months.  Administration would need to drastically alter their teaching assignment philosophy to implement a year round schedule in higher education. 

I think that the philosophy outlined in the article has many valid points, but also has many other institutional forces working against the comprehensive implementation of these dimensions.  I do believe many undergraduate institutions are moving in this direction, but I think there are many roadblocks that will need adjusting along the way.  I am not a negative “nelly”, but I do think that this philosophy does raise some legitimate concerns for instructors and students.

Garden update!

HOT, HOT, HOT!! Although it has been extremely hot and humid that past week, the rain we have received has kept my garden happy. The raspberries have been amazing! I made some raspberry pie, cobbler and sorbet. I will have pickling cukes ready next week. Yahoo!

As my garden continues to grow, so does my knowledge about assessing students online!

Concept Mapping...

I found two awesome videos this week on concept mapping. The first video is from a faculty point of view and how concept mapping is used in her communication studies classroom. 

The second video is an explanation for students on how to use concept mapping when beginning to write a research paper. I think this video may be useful for my written communication course students. 

Here is my first attempt at a concept map. You can also view the concept map in better detail by clicking the hyperlink under the assignments "tab" on the top of the blog. Since I am a visual learner, I LOVED this activity.

Module 3 - Assessment in E-Learning

What was the valuable information that you learned in this module?

This week was the first time I have written full length learning objectives. I have written learning objectives on assignments in the past, but have had no formal instruction on how to correctly write them. I think writing learning objectives and tying them to a concept map was the most valuable exercise I completed this week. I have always been a very visual learner and this helped solidify the connection that exists between a learning objective, an activity and the assessment tool. Here are the learning objectives and the concept map I created this week:

1. Students will display their ability to identify nonverbal communication artifacts by analyzing a print or video advertisement and providing a written summary of their findings with 75% accuracy according to the grading rubric.

2. Students will display their ability to apply and assess their listening skills by completing the “Listening for Details” reusable learning object with 85% accuracy.

3. Students will demonstrate group communication skills and collect cultural communication knowledge by completing a jigsaw group collaboration activity with 75% accuracy according to the grading rubric.

I think the hardest part for me was correctly wording how to include the integration of the assessment tool. This will be an area I will need to continue to improve upon in the future.

My first experience with concept mapping was in my Introduction to Graduate Studies course at UW-Stevens Point. At first, I thought the exercise was time consuming and a bit fruitless, until, I started working on my literature review for my thesis. This is when I first realized the benefits and potential of concept mapping!

While in graduate school, I also worked with a consulting firm one summer. They used extensive concept mapping to examine work processes in organizational settings. The firm had created a concept map that followed a piece of luggage at an airport from the moment you arrived until the moment you received it at your destination. The concept map took up an entire wall. I am amazed that we EVER get our luggage back! Using a concept map is a great way to identify weaknesses, congestion or flaws in any type of system.

Concept mapping is a tool I have touched on in my Written Communication course and area I am hoping to continue to expand upon. With the aid of software, like Inspiration, I believe students will find the process more appealing than in the past. The videos I posted on my blog have some great suggestions on how to utilize concept mapping in the communication studies classroom. I especially liked the silent concept mapping activity. I am looking forward to using this tool more extensively in my classes this fall.

A Meeting of the Minds.....

This week we had our first team meeting for our midterm jigsaw project. We meet in the D2L chat room and hashed out our project. I thought it was a very successful meeting and my group members were all very willing to divide up the responsibilities of the project equally. Yahoo!!

For the project, I will be completing the portion on the Peer to Peer/Instructor-to-student collaboration tools category. I am planning on reviewing Skype as a collaboration tool since I have used this tool successfully in the past as an academic advisor. My challenge is tying it to a learning objective and assessment activity in an online classroom environment. In my oral/interpersonal communication course, there is a group communication component, but I am just uncertain yet as to how I want to integrate the use of Skype.

Garden update!
My first crop of red raspberries is ripe! They are two weeks early this year, but are especially tasty! My dog, Bailey, has discovered how wonderful they taste as well. She pulls them right off of the branches and eats them! 

I have also harvested Kohlrabi, Radishes and Cilantro this week! YUM!

Module 2 - Assessment in E-Learning

Week two of Assessment in E-Learning has begun!! 

Before I begin discussing this week's topic, blogging, I would like to start with some results from last week's assignments. During week one, we were assigned to interview someone from our online class in an effort to get to know our fellow learners. Here is what my partner learned about me:

Why did you choose to take this course?

Kelly decided to complete the UW Stout Online Teaching Certificate.

What is your chosen profession? Where are you currently working?

Kelly has been a Communication Instructor at Mid-State Technical College since August 2011 and prior to that, she taught at for 4 years at Winona State University and part-time at Augsburg College. While at WSU that she became fascinated with incorporating new software and technology into the classroom. WSU is a laptop campus and she had the chance to take great technology focused workshops while she was there.

How will this course help your career and/or your students?
Kelly believes it will look great on the resume in the future, two of the courses count for her WTCS certification, and she is hoping to roll two of the classes into the Ed.D program in the future.

What is your favorite travel location? Why?
Kelly loves to travel. Her favorite location is Ireland, but she has always wanted to see Seattle. She has not been to Washington yet, but it is on her list!! Another favorite is Washington D.C.! She has been there 4 times and has not seen everything yet.

Now, onto blogging......

As a Written Communication instructor, I am very excited to talk about blogs.  Blogs are an excellent tool to display student work, they are easy to create, and allow for constructive feedback.  Since blogs can be displayed to the general public, students are more motivated to edit and perfect their writing.  The final advantage is the ability to embed links, videos, photos, and other interactive tools.  

In an effort to share with others in my assessment class, I will first briefly discuss the blog that I compiled in conjunction with the annual MSTC Mock Trial last semester.  Then I will discuss the required readings from module two and provide my reflection on said readings.  Finally, I will conclude with a very brief update on my garden.  

MSTC Mock Trial Blog…….

Every spring, the Introduction to Government students on the Mid-State Technical College’s Stevens Point Campus create and present a mock trial at the Portage County Courthouse.   In the past, students in the Introduction to College Writing course conducted interviews and created a newspaper after the trial.  This year, as a new communication instructor to the organization, I was asked if my students and I would like to participate in the trial. 

Therefore, I decided my contribution would be to enhance the current project by infusing it with new technology to generate more student interest and increase student engagement.  I thought a blog would be a fun, interactive way for students to display their work!  My students contributed by creating video clips, taking photos, writing blog articles, and by tweeting during the event. 

Since I was hesitant the first year to assess their work in blog form, my students were given a pass/fail grade or extra credit for contributing to the blog.  I was presented with this opportunity about two months prior to the event thus I was unable to build it into my course syllabus.

I submitted the results of the project to the Wisconsin Council of English Teachers Conference in Madison in October.  I am hoping to present a workshop sharing the information I gleaned from conducting this project.  To learn more about how my students participated in the project, you can read my submission to the conference. 

Module Two Readings……

There was a lot to read this week, but it was all very interesting.  I have struggled all week on what to say about blogs, assessment and technology.  I did not feel I had any huge "aha" moments, but did great blog idea from another student about using a blog to showcase the importance of communication skills, public speaking and/or writing skills.  I could have students create the blog in my Oral/Interpersonal Communication or my Written Communication course.  Students could interview professionals in their chosen fields and post video testimonials highlighting the importance of communication skills in their jobs.  I also contacted other communication colleagues from other states already to see if they or their students would like to contribute and create content.  I think it would be need to have a blog where students from three different states collaborate to together to add content and provide constructive feedback! At the end of the week, I finally decided to discuss authentic assessment in my discussion posting since it is the majority of the assessment I do in communication studies courses. I discussed the time management challenges that often face instructors.

Garden update!

This week, I added wooden cages to help support my 18 tomato plants.  As educators, we also need to support students in a positive way and ensure that their assessment also contains positive messages, as well as, constructive criticism.  If educators do not support and encourage student learning, students will become frustrated and will disengage from the course.  

Module 1 - Assessment in E-Learning

Summer has begun and so has my online class! For the next eight weeks, I will be taking the course titled "Assessment in E-learning" through the University of Wisconsin - Stout. I am completing the course as part of my 5 year technical college certification and as part of the graduate certificate program in E-Learning and Online Teaching. I really enjoyed my class last semester and am looking forward to learning more about assessment.

As part of the course, I will be completing a reflection journal concerning my progress throughout the course. In addition, I have decided to include updates on the progress of my garden! As my garden grows, so too, will my knowledge about assessing student learning! I will add pictures of my garden and very short updates regarding its progress.

 My herb garden contains dill, rosemary, thyme, sage & various flowering annuals.

This week, we were not required to journal or reflect upon on our learning, but I thought I would post an entry to get me into the habit of completing this task. Plus, I did have an "AHA" moment I wanted to record! This semester I am hoping to record more links, ideas, and potential activities I come up with while participating in the course. This was something I wish I would done more of last semester. Opps!

Here was the assessment idea that I came up with and recorded in my discussion posting:

As a required competency for my Speech course, students must be able to evaluate the speaking abilities of themselves and of other speakers. Students could, as a form of self-reflection and evaluation, ask another student questions regarding their speech performance. Currently, students fill out a pre-determined set of questions I designed, but what if they were in charge of their own learning and were required to ask another student a set of questions regarding the performance of their speech? Perhaps, then, students would obtain more valuable feedback, would become vested stakeholders in their learning, and could find answers to question that may have previously left unanswered. I could provide students with a guide and require a certain number of questions per criteria area. With the use of Blackboard or other online educational platform, this activity could be modified to allow for anonymous feedback. Students could be partnered with other students anonymously to allow for a more honest critique.  I have asked the rest of the class to provide feedback regarding my idea and am hoping for a some feedback to assist in avoiding any hiccups in implementing this strategy.

The second idea I discovered was to have students compile a class notes wiki. I was going to compile handouts for students to use to take notes during periods of short lecture, but instead, I could have them create a wiki notes page. This would cut down on my prep time
for fall, it would encourage students to find outside resources, and become more invested in their education.

Finally, as part of this course, our instructor created a wiki page where students can collaborate with each other. This week, we used the wiki to create and post "netiquette" or discussion board rules for our online class. These rules are posted to create a more constructive group of learners. 

With that being said, I am off to finish my homework for the week and weed my garden!

My vegetable garden includes: Onions, beets, carrots, tomatoes, kholarabi,  various varieties of peppers, peas, beans, cucumbers and watermelon.  I have another garden that has eggplants, cabbage, potatoes, and pumpkins.

My new dahlia plant!

Module 8 - E-Learning for Educators

Writer’s block…..UGH!!....What can I write about accessibility? Yes, I think all education should be accessible to students, but how can I find time to make my courses more accessible?  My biggest frustration in my new position is the lack of time I have to improve my courses or make any changes.  I feel like I am not teaching to my fullest potential.  By having to teach 7, 3 credit transferable courses, I can barely keep up with the grading and prepping.  I want to use more universal design in my courses, but I have only been able to add one or two things here and there.  I wish I had one whole semester to devote to upgrading all of my courses to reflect additional universal design principles.

I have really enjoyed this course and have learned many, many news things.  I thought it was enlightening to be able to discuss academic learning concepts again.  I thought it was uplifting to be able to discuss education concepts with other educator’s at all levels of education. 

My biggest regret was not having more time to participate in more discussions and more time to write in my journal.  I wish I could have included more ideas in my journal as they came to me during course readings and/or when completing various course projects.  Next time, I am going to carry a small paper journal with me to jot down notes when they pop into my brain.  This semester I made the mistake of thinking I could remember my ideas until the end of the week, but by that time, they had already drifted off into la la land!

I wanted to do more and read more about the topics presented.  I am hoping that I will have the opportunity to focus more on my studies when I take the second course in the E-Learning certificate series this summer.

Until then, I bid you adieu! See you all next summer!

Module 7 - E-Learning for Educators

E-portfolios!

I am excited to start working on my e-folio. I enjoy creating e-folios, but the problem for me is I can easily get sucked into spending hours designing and adding information to the e-folio! Hopefully, I can remain aware of the time!

I had my students at Augsburg College create online e-portfolios in my Business and Professional Speaking class. Learning the MN e-folio program was very frustrating for students at first, but once students understood the software, it became easy and fun! The programs can be frustrating to learn because the format of the e-folio requires students to think about information in a different manner.

I am planning on adding on to my current employment e-folio and will add a section specifically devoted to online teaching. I want to maintain the integrity of the original portfolio and expand it to allow potential future employers to view my online teaching tools. I want to group the tools by categories versus classes.

I really do not have much more to say this week. Besides, I better get to work!! E-folio here I come!!

Module 6 - E-Learning for Educators

Thoughts on Building a Customized Search Engine.........
Although we only needed to post a revised bio for this week's reflection, I still wanted to jot down some thoughts I had regarding the customized search engine assignment. 

One of the biggest struggles for an educator in the information age is instilling critical thinking in students.  A large portion of my job is to teach students to be credible writers and speakers.  This is not an easy task! 

As an instructor, it seems students only want to search the Internet for information because this method of research “seems” easy.  Yet, in reality, searching the Internet is much harder than searching an online database or perusing through books because then you need to sift through mountains of online un-credible information.  I want students to learn how to effectively mine data.  If I give them only credible sources in a customized search engine, how will they learn to know the difference between accurate and inaccurate information?  Students need to have practice viewing and sifting through both sources of data.  I need to teach them the tools to quickly filter out the junk and find the diamonds in the rough.  Although, I think the search engine would not work well for my instructional purposes, I do believe that creating a customized search engine would work well in an elementary classroom setting.

I really enjoyed creating a customized search engine.  The CSE was easy to create and fun!  Now, if only I could think of a way to include it in my courses…..Hmmmm……

My e-folio biography 2nd draft.....


Welcome to my electronic portfolio!

I am currently an enthusiastic instructor who strives to use industry experiences to reinforce communication theories in both the face to face and online classroom environments.  I have had the privilege to work with over 1,000 students and watch them develop as proficient orators and writers. To aid in the students’ progression, I incorporate innovative technology to assess student academic achievement and deliver interactive curriculum.

Furthermore, I have had the opportunity to teach diverse student populations in various instructional formats. I continue to instruct first generation students, non-traditional adult learners, students with learning disabilities, and students from across the globe for which, English is a second language.

I have created this portfolio to allow potential employers the ability to review my career goals, view past course syllabi, and to experience the educational technological tools utilized in my classroom.


Thank you for visiting!

Module 5 - E-Learning for Educators

Self-paced learning…..Boy, what can I say about self-paced learning?

When do I like self-paced learning?

I adore self-paced learning when it comes to learning new hobbies and participating in leisure time interests.  I like being able to log onto YouTube, watch a video, and try a technique by myself.  This type of self-paced learning allows me to make mistakes without fear of any judgment from others.  I can complete the task at my own pace and try, try again if I fail.  Yet, this technique does not allow me to ask questions and receive valuable feedback.  Therefore, this style of self-paced learning can cause some frustration and the lack of a perfectly polished project. 

When do I not like self-paced learning?

I am not a huge fan of self-paced learning when I am completing new employee training at work.  I intensely dislike watching safety videos and then completing quizzes to make sure I learned the information.  Completing these self-paced learning exercises is like watching paint dry on a hot, humid Wisconsin day in July: Slow and boring!    

As a student, self-paced learning seems to take vast amounts of time and I just want to get right to the point!  I find myself wanting to always take the easy route with this style of learning.  I want to speed through the information and just get to the test.  The problem with rushing through the information is that I am not taking the time to comprehend and retain the information being presented.  Watch out!!  I might be very unsafe in the workplace!  Don’t call me if there is a chemical spill!   

Self-paced learning can seem very boring because of the lack of interaction with other humans.  As a communication scholar, I am a huge fan of discussing ideas, roadblocks, and theories (or perhaps, this is my preferred auditory learning style shining through).  As a student, I feel that this type of learning can be devoid of meaningful interaction.      

A self-paced learning program lacks the ability to receive immediate answers to questions so frustration for students can run very high.  If you become frustrated, it is easy to stop learning and walk away.  When completing the information fluency self-paced learning activity, this style of learning did cause me aggravation because I was unable to get the function to access the list of external links to work.  I tried 4 different web browsers to no avail!  I tried both techniques listed in the first aid kit.  Finally, I closed the program and walked away.  When I returned a day later, I was still unable to complete the task, thus, I gave up and kept moving forward with the lesson.  Then, when the test rolled around, I still could not get this function to work, so consequently my grade was lowered.  Was taking the exam an accurate assessment of my learning?  Hmm…….

Perhaps, I was too stubborn, lazy, apathetic, and at a loss for time to go a step further to contact someone for help.  I would have liked to have had been able to view a screen shot or a video tutorial to assist me with how to perform the external links function.  I think that this could be helpful for students.

I do like the interactive style of this self-paced learning module for assessing the credibility of web sites.  I think this exercise would be fabulous for my students to complete.  I actually did learn many things that I had not known before.  Since this self-paced learning was more interactive than the self-paced safety learning I have done in the past, I do see the value in this tool.  If educators take an interactive, kinesthetic approach to self-paced learning, then I believe that students will be able to learn effectively from this method.  If instructors create static, passive self-learning modules, then students may succumb to the frustration and not learn the needed skills. 

Module 4 - E-Learning for Educators

Did I achieve my learning objectives this week? If yes, what did I achieve?
Creating the online quiz was interesting and is an essential online assessment tool.  I was glad we had the opportunity to create a quiz or survey.  I have created surveys in D2L in the past, but have not used this tool in Moodle before. 

I believe I achieved my objective, even though I took a mini-detour.  At first, I was unsure if I wanted to put together a survey or a quiz.  My first thought was to create a survey.  Then, as I was constructing the survey, I changed my mind and decided to do a quiz.  Unfortunately, I forgot to back all of the way out of the creation menu and start over.

I am glad that Anna alerted me that I had created the wrong assessment tool before the end of the week so I could correct my error.  Thanks Anna!

Module 3 - E-Learning for Educators

Did I see myself as an active member of the group? 
Facilitating my own discussion was a bit of a balancing act.  I did not want to respond immediately to every student’s posting because I wanted them to comment on each other’s postings or ideas.  I felt as though some students in this course may have felt that they needed to immediately respond to each posting and I think that this can curtail the interdependence of students in the group discussion.  Therefore, I did not want to be overly responsive, but also did not want to seem like I was ignoring my forum. 

I think I may have also posed a difficult question for students to answer and that might have curtailed some discussion.  I really wanted to push other students in this course to think on a philosophical level about education.  

I enjoyed facilitating discussion immensely!  I am looking forward to implementing online discussions in my Oral/Interpersonal Communication course.  Instead of having students complete a 2 to 4 page reflection paper, I am going to have them participate in 2 or 3 online discussions about their readings instead.

I really appreciated the great links to web sites about creating effective discussion questions.  These links are very helpful and I will continue to utilize the information in the future!    

How well did I participate in this week's discussion? Am I satisfied with my level and quality of participation?
I felt I improved my participation this week and did a better job of posting throughout the week.  I think this has been a struggle for me since my workweek is so uneven, with the majority of my hours being worked in the beginning of the week.  

Module 2 - E-Learning for Educators

What did I learn about my own learning process during this module?

I went home sick yesterday from work and I still feel horrible today. UGH!  Teaching seven classes this semester and taking this graduate course have already begun to take a toll on my health.  On a more positive note, I think I am finally getting the hang of this course!  I am feeling better about my online class today!  Too bad my body does not feel the same way!

I am really enjoying the discussion on introverts and extroverts.  I am fascinated by the analysis of others and I feel like I am starting to find my way.  I am very excited that I have that graduate school ‘itch’ to learn back in my blood and that the discussions have gotten deeper.   

In the article, Building Learning Communities in Cyberspace, I just learned on pg. 22 why it is I struggle with the reflection or discussion part of online learning.  I am an extrovert therefore; it feels more difficult to communicate in an online discussion.  For me, online discussion feels like a lot of unnecessary extra effort, whereas, I am sure for an introvert CMM must feel freeing.  For me, CMM feels constraining.  As an extrovert, I want to be a part of all of the course conversations in an online environment, participating in all discussions is not feasible.

In the Paloff and Pratt article, pg. 27, the authors’ state that people are more likely to be “freer” to enter into conflict in an online environment because of the lack of nonverbal communication with others, yet, I disagree.  For me, I feel I am less likely to be free about my feelings as I realize that the information I am writing could be come public information at any time.  Written e-mails or electronic discussions postings could easily be forwarded to anyone.  Then the potential “hurtful” communication is set in stone and can be distributed to others for interpretation.  In an online environment, which lacks non-verbal communication, my written thoughts, ideas or comments have the strong potential be taken out of context.  The intention of the message could easily be misconstrued.   

Personally, I am much more likely to be engaging in conflict in a face-to-face environment.  I am much less likely to confront someone using an online medium because of the ability to save, reproduce or disseminate my words.  Thus, I would argue that some online community members might be more apt to avoid conflict versus engage in conflict.  I have no doubt that

Did I see myself as an active member of the group?

I feel like I am missing out on several valuable conversations by not reading all of the postings.  Yet, I know I do not have time to read all of them.  I wish I had more time to read more of the postings and be a more of an active member of the group.  How do I know which postings to read or not read?  How do I regulate my time in this learning environment to get the most out of the course?  

WEB 2.0?? Said What?

Wow!  Where have I been!!!  I had no clue there were so many great resources out there for instructors.  I can’t wait to explore these programs during the summer to see which programs I can incorporate into my courses.

I have a few concerns and questions about Web 2.0 online tools though.  How ‘safe’ are the Web 2.0 free resources from viruses?  How secure and safe is my personal information?  How safe and secure is my content?  Have there been any concerns about intellectual property rights with any Web 2.0 software companies?  What happens if the Web 2.0 software company decides to close up shop, then what happens to all of the content that I built into their program?    

I found some great Web 2.0 tools on my Google Chrome account.  The only bad thing is that many of the programs that do look useful, also cost money.  Bummer!

P.S. LOVIN’ Diigo!  This cloud sharing web tool will be great to share with other instructors.  I have a Drop box account where other communication colleagues and I share syllabi, assignments, and activities.  From time to time, we share web links.  I think this would be a much easier way to share web links with other colleagues!  I could also incorporate Diigo into my online courses.  Students could share resources as they do research on their speech topics or research papers with other students.  Thanks for sharing Dennis!

P.P.S.  A short question about online communities.....

Dennis is there a different sense of community for each online class like there is in a traditional classroom?  Does each class have its own personality or culture?

Module 1 - E-Learning for Educators

Let the online learning adventure begin!! 

This is only week one of my E-Learning for Educator's course and I have already learned many, many valuable lessons! 


How did my thinking about teaching change this week?

I am surprised by the instant level of frustration that I experienced as a new student to online learning.  I can imagine this is how many of online students feel during the first week of classes since they are unsure what to expect from the course or the instructor.  Students may feel very disorientated and will have to re-arrange the way they learn and THINK!  I wish I had had this experience when I was an academic advisor and recruiter so that I could have advised new students about this possible reorientation to the learning process.  This changed my thinking about teaching online in that I will need to account for and expect a certain level of frustration the first week of an online course.

Although I was not partial to filling out the module one self-evaluation survey, I do believe it is a great educational exercise for instructors. This activity forced students to deeply reflect and evaluate their own work.  Furthermore, this exercise provides educators with additional practice at accurately assessing online discussions.  Unfortunately, by the time I had reached this activity for the week, I was totally exhausted. 

I learned from the self-evaluation survey that I was missing key elements in my primary and response postings.  I will adjust my responses for next week.  I appreciated this learning experience because I realized I did not read all of the instructions correctly.  I hoping this exercise will have given me the ability to improve my grade next week. 

What did I learn about my own learning process during this module?

I know that graduate classes are very time consuming, but I am not used to having to type everything I am thinking in a discussion.  Typing my thoughts takes much longer because I have to spend additional time editing my written work.  When taking face-to-face graduate courses, I was able to instantly vocalize my insight and ideas from the course readings, which seems to be less time consuming.  Although this is only week one, I miss the instant idea generation and feedback from other graduate students that I enjoyed in my master’s program. 

I feel like the discussions I am having with students online are only occurring in my inner self and it is a bit weird that I am not actually hearing peoples’ real voices.  I am missing the non-verbal communication and vocal inflections I usually rely on. 

Today, I feel like I want to quit, give up and wait until summer to take a graduate course.  Perhaps, next week will get better!